Hey to all you Social D fans! You can stream their new album Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes right now by clicking HERE.
For each 100,000 plays the the price on Amazon.com’s preorder for the album will drop $1.
The album drops on 01/18/2011 and is the first release from the band since 2004.
I’ll have a review of the album shortly once Apple decides to call me back and tell me my Mac Mini is repaired (faulty hard drive). I sure hope that is today…
Not sure what plans you have on January 30th other than trying to stomach watching the NFL Pro Bowl, so let me throw something out for you to do…
On January 30th there will be a screening of the new Lemmy (you know LEMMY! Motorhead/Hawkwind) documentary properly titled Lemmy: 49% Motherf**Ker, 51% Son Of A Bitch at the Beachland Ballroom. Tickets are $8 and include not only a screening of the highly anticipated rockumentary, but also includes a set by Cleveland’s very own Motorhead cover act Motorhead USA immediately after the flick.
The screening event was brought together by Addicted To Vinyl whose words appear below:
For rock and metal fans alike, Lemmy: 49% Motherf**Ker, 51% Son Of A Bitch is one of the most anticipated film releases of 2011. And as it happens, co-director Wes Orshoski (who helped to produce and direct the new film with Greg Olliver) is a Cleveland native.
A mutual friend put us in touch with Wes to help arrange a hometown screening for the flick and with the help of some good friends, we’re pleased to announce a Cleveland date for the Lemmy movie which will screen on Sunday, January 30th at the Beachland Ballroom at 8pm.
Admission is $8 and the evening will feature a special introduction by Orshoski prior to the start of the film and music from Cleveland tribute band Motorhead USA to close out the night!
Here’s some info taken from a press release in regards to the flick as well:
Over four decades, Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister has registered an immeasurable impact on music history. Nearly 65, he remains the living embodiment of the rock and roll lifestyle, and this feature-length documentary tells his story, one of a hard-living rock icon who continues to enjoy the life of a man half his age.
Shot on a combination of High Definition and Super 16mm film, “Lemmy” (directed by Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski) includes interviews with friends, family, bandmates past and present and such admirers/peers as Metallica, Slash, Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters), Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order), actor Billy Bob Thornton, wrestling superstar Triple H, Alice Cooper, Mick Jones of The Clash, and many more.
Called “pure gold” by WIRED, “Lemmy” made its world premiere in March 2010 at the South by Southwest Film and Music Festival, and has since collected rave reviews at film festivals around the globe. Variety remarked “‘Lemmy’ rocks,” and The Hollywood Reporter noted, “You don’t have to be a metalhead to love ‘Lemmy.'”
Help spread the word of the event if you can! I will be there that night as I am helping ATV with the event so I hope you see you all there!!!
Philadelphia punkers Dirty Tactics are officially the band I overlooked last year. In a day and age where punk rock music is taking all sorts of diversions into different genres, sometimes I am just hesitant of checking out newer acts.
Maybe it’s the old man in me telling me to hold back as I sadly think I have heard it all or perhaps I’ve just grown tired of band after band sounding alike. Whatever the reason is, I am glad I took a moment to pop in It Is What It Is, the bands sophomore album on Say-10 Records.
From the very start of the CD I was into it. It was not because the band exploded into a infectious jam (that was later), it was because of a certain dated excerpt of an interview that opened the album. Where as I can not pinpoint who the actual band is that is being interviewed, someone who sounds an awful like Mick Jones of the Clash says “it’s just like, there just has to be new groups and that’s just what you got,” when asked where punk rock started. Without time to agree with that statement, Dirty Tactics jumped into “When You Wake Up” a dirty DIY sounding catchy-ass song.
“Baltimore” followed the opening track continuing with an infectious pop-punky (see, I told you that happened later) song that won me over mostly thanks to the use of the organ throughout. Begging to be sung along to was “The Process”, a pop-punk heavy track wit a dab of clapping to keep that good feeling going.
“Secret Lives” had an interesting prelude to an amazing track. “Train Song” proved it is ok to play organ in a punk rock song and have fun doing so. All I could think to myself is how amazingly talented these guys were and I was only halfway thought the album.
“Arkansas” was unlike any other song previously heard and perhaps my favorite. Upright piano, almost whispering gruff singing, and distant percussion brought together this quick gem of a track that begged to be listened to over and over again.
The shift in sound also applied to the final track “Blind Man”, a trippy track that sounded almost as if Jeffrey Lewis wrote it. Even if it was out of the norm I loved it and especially appreciated the repeat of “it’s what you got” taken from the opening sample at the songs end.
Dirty Tactics are group of talented and hardworking musicians that make punk, well…punk. They recorded the It Is What It Is themselves, work their day jobs when home, and tour when the time is right. I only hope to catch this band live one day.
It Is What It Is just isn’t just an album that I’ll be listening to a couple of times and forget about…and yes I mean that. I am pretty sure they will remain in regular rotation for me for quite some time. If you have not heard of Dirty Tactics yet make sure you put that on your to do list.
I have decided that BHP will be going through some changes in 2011. I am in the works on changing things up around here from the design of the site to the content I throw in randomly. Change is good.
So to start things off early, I decided to start a random series of quirky little comics from events that have actually happened to me or would happen should I be subjected to the situation.
D.X. Ferris has been supplying some funny ass Suburban Metal Dad comics on Addicted To Vinyl this past month and that along with my addiction to the comics on If You Make It made me what to try it for myself.
So here you go. Laugh, cry, complain… It is all about the fun and terrible artistic abilities right?
What would happen if Anthony Bourdain ever told me to quit being a vegetarian?
Earlier this year I had one of those evenings that made me remember why I do what I do. Before you start thinking dirty thoughts, I am talking about my love for music and sharing it with all of you wonderful readers out there via this high tech blog. I don’t get paid for this (yet), but I can tell you what, I will do this for as long as I can just because I love doing it…
Great, now where was I?
Oh yes, that one evening earlier this year when I remembered why I love music and my blog and blah blah blah… Flashback time.
It was a warm summer evening and my favorite Columbus folk-duo The Electric Grandmother were playing a show at Annabell’s in Highland Square (a hipster rich area in Akron). We arrived just before the show was to start and I remember helping them move their gear into a side room of the bar as there was another act scheduled before them.
Mary Alice & Pete (aka The Electric Grandmother) offered me a delicious tall PBR as a thank you for helping them get situation (who later in the night dedicated a song to me – how thoughtful).
As I sat there and enjoyed that 24oz. of goodness, there was a male/female duo getting set up. I remember specifically stopping everything I was doing the second they started their soundcheck. All I could think of was “who in the hell is this?” Mind you I was dead serious and not sarcastic…
The band was called Fort Wilson Riot and they just so happened to fill in a last minute slot at Annabell’s as some unnamed venue in Cleveland cancelled on them. They were not looking rushed but you could tell they were moving as fast as they could to get set up. It was then and there they started that song that my attention was captured.
The song they played was called “Snakes & Scorpions” and featured the duo singing in a perfect harmony backed by an electric guitar and electric keyboard as well as a drum machine providing the beat.
It was a simple set up but the sound was not what I expected at all. The duo consisting of Jacob Mullis and Amy Hager reminded me of everything I liked about acts like Dresden Dolls, Mates Of State, Matt & Kim, and even The White Stripes. Why? Because they complimented one another perfectly. It’s like the ying and yang of music.
I liked what I heard and apparently so did everyone else in the bar that night as the entire basement of Annabell’s filled up after a couple songs in by Fort Wilson Riot. They were indie rock, they were pop rock cabaret-style…they were…good.
No one was expecting to hear that kind of music that night. I know I wasn’t.
I remember looking at Pete & Mary Alice and then looking around at all the people who gathered to see this mysterious band play. It was one of those acts where we could see people mouthing the words “who are these guys” followed by “they are really good.”
When I see people do that while watching a band I can not help myself but smile. That is why I love music and that is why I like to share it. Chances are I am not the only one who decided to tell someone about Fort Wilson Riot. I know I have multiple times, and here I am telling you all.
After their set I greeted them and throughout the night we chatted. I found out that they were from Minnesota and once were considered an “indie-rock opera” before slimming down to the duo. They were touring in a van on their own and had been touring with Ice Palace before making the stop in Cleveland.
Amy and Jacob hung out with us for the rest of the night and by the end of the evening they hooked me up with a copy of their latest album Predator Prey, a self-made album that once I listened to, turned me into even a bigger fan.
Not only is it the duo on the CD but they also enlisted a bunch of their talented friends to put together one great listen. I highly recommend checking out “Forgotten Language”, “All My Friends”, “Snakes & Scorpions” and cabaret-heavy “Diamond Blues”.
Have you found yourself interested in this band Fort Wilson Riot I speak of? Fear not you can check them out by heading over to their Bandcamp page. The album is only $8. What are you waiting for?
Fort Wilson Riot “Snakes and Scorpions” from Fort Wilson Riot on Vimeo.
Fort Wilson Riot “All My Friends” from Fort Wilson Riot on Vimeo.